Search This Blog

An Interesting Tiger Beetle

Tiger beetles (genus Cicindela) are among our most interesting insects. They have have ornately marked carapaces (shells), which lend them a beautiful, almost showy appearance, and some species are blindingly iridescent. Bold and adept hunters, most species are active during the day, and thus are somewhat easy to observe. But, just as their sharp vision aids them in spotting prey, it also keys them into us and tiger beetles can be hard to approach closely.

Which makes the following photos all the more amazing. Sent to me by naturalist extraordinaire Warren Uxley, they are of Cicindela formosa. Too bad no one yet has made the effort to give all of these charismatic beetles - there are only about 100 North American species - interesting common names. But I don't know of one for this particular beetle. However, formosa means "handsome", and that would be an apropos moniker: Handsome Tiger Beetle.

Cicindela formosa, a creature adapted for life on the run. At slightly under an inch long, it's not a heavyweight, but if you were a smaller insect caught out on the open sands, this would be your worst nightmare. Tiger beetles have proportionately massive jaws, and move in incredibly speedy bursts. Once suitable prey is spotted, it probably has little chance. Look at the legs on this guy! In addition to using those long legs for exceptional mobility, tiger beetles also use them as tools that assist in an interesting thermo-regulation technique called "stilting". When at rest on hot summer sands, they elevate themselves high off the substrate, sort of like a car being lifted on jacks. And thus get some relief from the baking sands below.

Look at the striking markings of the upper shell. This showy intricate pattern is no doubt what inspired Thomas Say to name the species formosa when he described it in the early 1800's. Oh, that's the same Say for whom the Say's Phoebe is named. Like his ornithological counterpart Alexander Wilson, who was dubbed the "Father of American Ornithology", Thomas Say was called the "Father of American Entomology". Say was quite the all-around naturalist - a very rare breed these days - and described many other animals other than insects to science. Some of the birds first described to science by Say, in addition to the aforementioned phoebe, include Western Kingbird, Lark Sparrow, Lazuli Bunting, and Orange-crowned Warbler.

Finding tiger beetles is akin to discovering showy, colorful living gems, or panning up a gold nugget after lots of looking. They aren't very common, and seldom occur in large numbers. Once spotted, the observer must employ his patience and wits to make a close approach. If successful, the beetle-hunter will be well rewarded with the opportunity to admire a fascinating insect, both in appearance and habits.

Thanks to Warren for tracking this beast down, and sharing his amazing photos from his recent safari to the Oak Openings.

Get link

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Google+

Email

Other Apps

Get link

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Google+

Email

Other Apps

Comments

Hi Jim - just happened upon your blog, nice! Actually, most U.S. tiger beetles do have common names - Cicindela formosa is called the "big sand tiger beetle" in reference to its size and sand habitat preference. Populations in the eastern U.S. are assigned to subspecies generosa - the dark coloration of the specimens in your photos is typical of that subspecies.best regards -- ted

Popular posts from this blog

The world is awash in beetles, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Few of them can match the intimidation factor of a Pinching Beetle, Lucanus capreolus, though. Those formidable looking mandibles look like they could slice off a finger.

Today was one of those coolly diverse days. I started off down in Fayette County, visiting the farm of a friend. He has restored about 25 acres of wetlands, and the response by the animal community has been nothing short of phenomenal. Blizzards of dragonflies of many species, amphibians galore, and nesting Blue-winged Teal, Pied-billed Grebe, and Sora. Among MANY other things. And all in a short two years. Add water and they will come.

Then, working my way home, I ducked into a Madison County cemetery that has a thriving population of Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrels, and shot images of our native prairie dog. Then, I stopped at a spot along Little Darby Creek, waded on in, and procured some pretty nice shots of various stream bluets and dancers. …

A hatch-year male Calliope Hummingbird strikes a pose. Small but tough, the hummingbird was feeding actively yesterday in 39 F temperatures. It frequents feeders and gardens at a home in Delaware County, Ohio, about a half-hour north of Columbus.

Fortunately, the wayward hummer appeared at the home of Tania and Corey Perry. Tania is a birder, and knew right away that the hummingbird was something special. For a while, the identification was up in the air, which isn't surprising. The Calliope Hummingbird used to be placed in its own genus, Stellula, but has recently been submerged into the genus Selasphorus, which includes Allen's, Broad-tailed, and Rufous hummingbirds. The latter two, especially, are quite similar to the Calliope in subadult plumage. Rufous is the default "vagrant" hummingbird here, with dozens of records and birds turning up annually. There is but one Ohio record of Allen's Hummingbird, from late fall/early winter 2009. Ditto the Calliope Hummi…

These visitors from the high arctic have irrupted big time into Ohio and adjacent regions, with new birds coming to light nearly every day. Probably 80 or so have thus far been reported in the state, and some of them have stuck around favored spots and become local celebrities.

I went to visit one of these birds this morning - the animal above, which was found last Friday by Doug Overacker and Julie Karlson at C.J. Brown Reservoir near Springfield. In the four days since its discovery, many people have visited as is nearly always the case when one of these white wonders appears near a large population center or is otherwise very accessible.

And as is always the case, people want to photograph the owls. And th…

PHOTO WORKSHOPS 2018!!

In partnership with expert photographer Debbie DiCarlo (learn about her work HERE), I will be co-leading a series of one-day and multi-day photo workshops in 2018, all in Ohio, with the exception of fabulous excursions to Pennsylvania and Costa Rica. All skill levels are welcome - especially new to intermediate photographers. In addition to learning photographic techniques for various facets of natural history - birds, insects, other animals, plants, landscapes, night skies, and more - we'll learn LOTS about natural history. Each and every trip will offer many chances to see and photograph flora and fauna that most people don't get to see - or even know exists! The more one knows about nature, the better a nature photographer they'll become! Both Debbie and I love to work with people to help improve photography skills, and would welcome you to attend any of our workshops.

For an overview of all workshops, with thorough descriptions, CLICK HERE. Also, listed below is each DiCarlo/McCormac workshop, with a hotlink to a complete description and registration information:

Follow this blog by Email!

About Me

I am a lifelong Ohioan who has made a study of natural history since the age of eight or so - longer than I can remember! A fascination with birds has grown into an amazement with all of nature, and an insatiable curiosity to learn more. One of my major ambitions is to get more people interested in nature. The more of us who care, the more likely that our natural world will survive.

About the photos, and permission to use

All photographs (unless otherwise noted) on these web pages are the exclusive property of Jim McCormac, and are protected under United States and International copyright laws. The photographs may not be copied, reproduced, stored, distributed or manipulated without written permission. All rights are reserved.

All photographs are available for purchase. If interested in an image(s), please feel free to contact me at: jimmccormac35 AT gmail.com

If you contact me requesting free photos, the reply may be long in coming :-)

I've been taking photographs for a few decades, but never became fully engaged in photography until 2003. That's when I got my first digital camera. Since then, photography has become a passion and a steadily growing addiction. If you delve back far enough into this blog, you will see photos that were made with a variety of Panasonic point & shoot bridge cameras. Then came a Canon Rebel DSLR, followed by a Nikon D7000. I've since returned to Canon, and use their gear exclusively. My camera bodies are a Canon 5DS-R, 5D IV, and 7D II - all are awesome cameras, each with their primary use.

The lens bag includes a number of Canon lenses that collectively cover most bases, ranging from macro to super telephotos. I do lots of macro, and my typical flash gear is the Canon Twin-Lite setup, or sometimes a diffused Canon 600 speedlite. If the gear needs three-legged stabilization, it is mounted on either an Induro tripod, attached to an Induro Gimbal head, or a Gitzo 3542 tripod and Wimberly WH-200 head. Finally, I've got a GoPro Hero, which is fully waterproof and can be used for underwater work. Sometimes I even use the camera or video feature on my iPhone 7 smartphone - it's amazing how good phone cameras have become.